Atlanta airport on Delta Airlines.

Can anyone tell me if the Delta Airlines flights from Minneapolis, Mn. with a 59 minute layover will be a issue. We are traveling March 4- 11 My question is are all Delta flights received at the same concourse or do you have to travel the whole airport for your connection. Thanks for any help you can give.Our flight departs Minneapolis at 5:30 am

Carey
It just depends...
We have done the ATL turnaround a lot of times to MBJ and many other places
Most of the time if it is more than 50 mins I don't worry much
Occasionally the connection is 42 mins which can be really tight

It may be worthwhile to move up to Economy comfort on your first leg which puts you in the first 10 rows or so which gets you off quicker

Look at the monitor as soon as you get off the ramp
Find Montego Bay on that list and which terminal your gate is in
(It can be in several different ones-sometimes the new International terminal, other times it is B or E
I am sure that there is some reason for the differences but I have no idea what the differences)

Head to the train in the center of the terminal
Soon you will be at your gate and heading to Jamaica

I never leave myself any less than about an hour and a half at ATL. 59 minutes is fine if your flight arrives at the gate on time, AND if you're in the same concourse for your connecting flight. I've sprinted through that airport too many times! . Good luck!

Delta flights cover many concourses in Atlanta but the trams between the concourses is fast an efficient. Your connecting flight gate information will be posted on a screen at your arrival gate. We have changed planes and traveled from one end of the airport concourses to the other with an hour layover many times without a problem.

I wouldn't wait to deplane to check the monitor for gate information. As soon as you land, go to the Delta website and check your flight status there. It will let you know if the flight is on time and give you up to date gate information.

Atlanta's outgoing flights to Jamaica will be from the new international concourse 'F' - last stop on the tram. I don't know where you are coming in at but, go directly to the tram when you deplane - don't walk it. Check your Delta app (if you can) while taxing in so that you can see if there have been any gate changes.

We have done the 45 minute connection a couple of times. We fly out of Iowa and always have to transfer to the international concourse. It takes once you get off the plane to get to another concourse. We always made our connection but only had time to hit the bathroom and then board. Just pray that your first plane is not delayed.

We are from MN and the last several times have had the 50 min layover in Atlanta with no issues. You do however have to go from one end of airport to the other. Check your departure gate via the delta app on your phone and when you deplane head directly to the tram to the international terminal. Last month our flight was late leaving here by about 20 min and we still made it with no problem. Where in MN are you from?

We are from Minnesota as well and have taken that flight. The airlines always allow for a "buffer" so the 59 minute layover is actually a little longer; as you usually shave off 20-30 minutes of the flight time once you are in the air.

We had the same situation in Oct 13. We made it but we did not have a chance to even stop for a restroom. We arrived at our gate via tram. They were already boarding our flight. We also came home via Atlanta to MSP. It was fine but too much stress for us. We have decided to go a different route when we return Oct 14. A few dollars more to be more relaxed it worth it to us. Best part is.... once at Couples you forget all about it!!

You have to go through Passport Control on your first landing in the US
No way to get through ATL customs and PPcontrol and get to your flight in 1 hour
2 is the minimum and I like it better when it is 2.5 or 3
Now if you have Global Entry (both you and your spouse have to have it) you could get through in an hour but under the normal system it would be hard with a one hour layover

We've made it through ATL on a 43 minute layover, but I was worried; especially since we had to travel almost the entire length of the airport to get from our arrival gate to the departure gate. We heaved a sigh of relief as we looked out the window of the plane and saw our luggage being loaded. It can be done, but it leaves no room for error (i.e. flight delay on your first flight.).

Please disregard my post above. Delta failed to notify me by email about a change in our flight itinerary. I have changed to another flight, and now have a two plus hour layover in Atlanta- plenty of time to get through customs and to get to the plane.

Atlanta is better than most airports, as far as coming back into the US. You do have to go through security, again, but it's right in the International Terminal. We have sailed right through and other times we have had to wait about 30 minutes to get through security. Most airlines won't let you book connecting flights if it's not possible to make them. You might make it. I usually like to have at least 2 hours going though Atlanta. Good Luck!!!

Please disregard my post above. Delta failed to notify me by email about a change in our flight itinerary. I have changed to another flight, and now have a two plus hour layover in Atlanta- plenty of time to get through customs and to get to the plane.

Good move. We have 50 min on the way down and 2:43 on the way back, which should give us time for a quick supper.

If you are planning to have a trip, you have to be aware of the fees you are going to pay. Check your baggage first to avoid additional charges. If there's a leader in charging baggage fees in the country, it is the Delta Airlines. According to a report, it will be the first major air carrier to gather $1 billion in airline charges, as it will collect that much by 2014. Here is the article: Delta Baggage Fees.

Also, on your way back home Don't you have to retrieve your checked luggage and re-check it before you go to immigration?
We had to do this in Dallas (American) and Charlotte (US Airways) on previous trips. In both Dallas and Charlotte there were re-check stations between the baggage claim and immigration. Waiting for your luggage also adds time. We have a little over 2 hours on our way home in May.

Zackmack- We came back home to Detroit through Atlanta a few weeks ago on Delta. It was our first time going through Atlanta. We had a layover of just under two hours. Yes, you do have to retrieve your checked luggage before going to immigration. The tram really got us through the airport quickly, and the recheck station between baggage claim and immigration was on the route you are taken through on your way to your next flight. We got through in about an hour, and the airport was fairly busy at that time. Based on our experience, you should have enough time to catch your flight with a 2 hour layover.

How about a flight from Montego Bay TO Atlanta with a 1 hour layover? Won't we have to go through customs in Atlanta before catching the next plane?

our travel agent just emailed me last week and told me Delta changed our return flight because the layover from MB to ATL was only 80 minutes. she said we needed a new flight with a longer layover since we have to go through customs in ATL on the way back. we now have 2+ hours...

I have cut and pasted the following from the Hartsfield-Jackson website. It is done a little differently in Atlanta vs. our previous experiences.

Thousands of people from around the world will pass through the international terminal daily, and most of them will fit into one of six passenger categories.

Categories are based primarily on where passengers are coming from and where they are going. If passengers know their category, they can determine where to go for customs and immigration inspection, baggage claim, connecting flights, concessions and other services.

Passenger categories
1. Atlanta-bound: These are passengers whose international travel begins and ends in Atlanta.

Departing passengers:
•Check in at the international terminal.
•Pass through the international security checkpoint.
•Follow the signs to the gate, or use The Plane Train if the departure gate is on Concourse E.
Arriving passengers:
•Process through immigration and customs at the Concourse F Federal Inspection Station (FIS).
•Pick up checked luggage at the international terminal baggage claim.
•Get ground transportation — taxis; hotel shuttles; and shuttles to the domestic terminal, rental car center and MARTA train to downtown — at the center outside the international terminal.

2. International inbound connecting at Hartsfield-Jackson for U.S. domestic travel: These passengers are arriving in Atlanta from a city outside the United States to connect on a domestic flight for travel within the United States.

•Passengers arriving at gates on Concourse F will process through immigration and customs at the Concourse F Federal Inspection Station (FIS). Passengers arriving at gates on Concourse E will process through immigration and customs at the Concourse E FIS.
•After the immigration inspection, passengers pick up their checked baggage.
•After the customs inspection, passengers’ checked baggage is rechecked and transferred to domestic connecting flights.
•Passengers are required to pass through a security checkpoint.
•To reach a connecting flight, passengers will follow signs to the Airport’s people mover system, The Plane Train, which connects the international concourses (E and F) to all other concourses and the domestic terminal.

3. International inbound connecting at Hartsfield-Jackson for International travel: These passengers are arriving in Atlanta from a city outside the United States to connect on an international flight for travel outside the United States.

•Passengers arriving at gates on Concourse F will process through immigration and customs at the Concourse F Federal Inspection Station (FIS).
•Passengers arriving at gates on Concourse E will process through immigration and customs at the Concourse E FIS.
•After the immigration inspection, passengers pick up their checked baggage.
•After the customs inspection, passengers’ checked baggage is rechecked and transferred to international connecting flights.
•Passengers are required to pass through a security checkpoint.
•To reach a connecting flight, passengers will follow signs to the Airport’s people mover system, The Plane Train, which connects the international concourses (E and F) to all other concourses and the domestic terminal.

4. Connecting in Hartsfield-Jackson for travel outside the United States: These passengers are arriving in Atlanta from another U.S. city to connect with an outbound international flight.

•Passengers traveling outside the United States on single tickets already will have checked in internationally at their originating domestic airports. They do not need to go through a security checkpoint reinspection.
◦To reach connecting international flights, passengers follow signs to the Airport’s people mover system, The Plane Train, which connects to the international concourses (E and F).
◦Airlines will transfer checked baggage to connecting international flights.
•Passengers not traveling on single tickets may need to collect their checked luggage at the domestic terminal baggage claim.
◦After passengers retrieve their luggage, they will need to board the terminal connector shuttle at the ground transportation center for a 15-minute ride to the international terminal.
◦These passengers will check in at the international terminal, check their luggage and pass through a security checkpoint.

5. Originating in Atlanta and flying to another U.S. city to connect for travel outside the United States: These passengers are flying from Atlanta to another U.S. city to connect with an international flight.

•These passengers will need to check in at the domestic terminal. Passengers should ask their airlines about specific check-in requirements.
•After they have checked in, passengers will follow signs to the security checkpoints.
•After passengers go through the security checkpoints, they will follow overhead signs to their departure gates.

6. Precleared: These passengers are arriving from or traveling to countries that participate in the U.S. precleared travel program.

•Precleared passengers staying in Atlanta will pick up checked luggage at the international baggage carousel at the international terminal.
•For more information about preclearance locations